subject: 10 Interesting Fathers Day Facts [print this page] The first ever Fathers Day was held over 100 years ago in America on 19th June 1910 thanks to Sonora Smart Dodd who wanted to say thanks to her single dad. Gradually the idea gathered momentum and in 1972 President Nixon made the celebration permanent.
And now that's explained, let's get to the interesting bit...
Any ideas what the most common Fathers Day gift might be? Golf clubs and DIY tools are all up there, but the daddy of Fathers Day gifts is, in fact, a good old necktie. Who exactly is buying all these neckties and which dads are wearing them is unclear, but if this is news to you, at least that's next Fathers Day sorted.
Hallmark did some counting not too long ago and discovered that Fathers Day is the fourth largest card sending day in the world. Today that includes Fathers Day cards bought for granddads, brothers and stepdads and it's probably the reason why Fathers Day moved up from fifth place. Sneaky.
Buying flowers is a Mother's Day only tradition, right? Wrong! A little digging and you'll find that roses are the Fathers Day flower of choice. Carry a red rose if your dad is still alive and a white rose to remember a dad who is not still alive. Not to be confused with Valentine's Day where the bigger the bunch the better - that was never the dad way.
Dads everywhere will be delighted to know that their daughters spend 50% more on men when the recipient in question is their dad, which begs the question, how much do those darn neck ties actually cost?
According to scientists, devoted dads are found in the animal kingdom too. Penguins sit on their eggs for 60 or more days without food, while the male ocean catfish carries eggs in its mouth for weeks until they hatch, also going without food. No surprise that male devotion goes hand in hand with how many meals dad missed.
First there was the metrosexual, today it's all about 'stay-at-home' dads. This new breed of man can change nappies and push designer prams with the best of them, and recent figures show that there are 200,000 in the UK so far, a figure that's climbing faster than Fathers' of Justice up a building.
Do you remember Bao Xishan? Measuring a whopping 7 feet and 9 inches tall, Xishan is the tallest man in the world and in 2008 he became the world's tallest dad. Mr Bao's son was born on a Thursday, and thankfully for Mrs Bao, the little tyke was a healthy and perfectly normal sized baby.
The record for Britain's oldest dad is currently held by Raymond Calvert, a 79-year-old pensioner whose 7th child was born when Raymond was 78. Gerry Burks, 74, got the ball rolling at the beginning of 2010 when he announced the birth of his son, only to be unseated as the oldest dad by Dennis Ealam who, at 76, became father to a daughter. Can I get an eighty anyone?
Of course, all the above pales in comparison with an Indian farmer by the name of Nanu Ram Jogi who fathered his 21st child (at least) at the age of 90. Mr Jogi's attributes his virility to long walks and plenty of meat. Steak anyone?
Lastly, the dad with the most children is Nigerian man Mohammed Bello Abubakar, who at 84, had 170 children by 86 wives. Of course, that's not counting anonymous sperm donors and men of Essex. But still, Fathers Day in his household must be pure gold.
